This invention relates to a hunting arrow, and more particularly, to a hunting arrow which is trackable by means of radio signals sent therefrom.
During the hunting of game animals using bow and arrow, on many occasions the arrow will embed itself in the game and the wounded game will immediately flee. In areas of dense foliage it is often difficult to track the wounded game, and on many occasions the wounded game may completely escape with the arrow to an undetectable location.
Prior art solutions to this problem include the release of smoke from a spent arrow, a string or line attached to the arrow which is reeled out when the arrow is released from the bow and an arrow that releases an audible sound when released from the bow. These retrieval means have obvious disadvantages, namely, game in which the arrow is embedded could be at a location where the smoke could not be seen and the audio signal could not be heard. In the other example, the string or line could be broken and the retrieval system rendered useless.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,948 issued to inventor John M. Ralkovich a hunting arrow with a radio transmitter embedded in the arrow head is taught. The transmitter forms a bulbous arrow tip and adds additional weight to the tip or head of the arrow. The arrow shaft is required to be hollow and non-metallic so that the transmitting antenna can be positioned therein.
This device has several disadvantages or drawbacks, namely, the arrow head is not of a standard industry configuration and therefore a standard arrow shaft with a threadedly removable arrow head cannot be utilized; the device cannot be used with a metal arrow shaft hollow or solid as the radio transmission from the transmitter would be shielded and would either emit no radio signals or would emit only minimum signals which would have little or no range; and the transmitter assembly adds additional undesired weight to the tip of the arrow changing its overall balance.
The instant invention advances the art of hunting arrow retrieval.